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Today, we look at what the failure to reach an agreement between the US and Iran means for the war in the Middle East and the world.

We also look at what stopped an agreement between the two sides, after differing accounts emerge.

Victoria Derbyshire and Nick Watt are joined by political correspondent Joe Pike, who has the latest on the UK-US row over the Chagos Islands.

And could an election in Hungary reshape political power in Europe?

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say “Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you’re in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The hosts were Victoria Derbyshire and Nick Watt. It was made by Chris Flynn with Kris Jalowiecki. The social producer was Grace Braddock. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Weather maps show temperatures reaching 21C in London with sunny spells across the UK as warmer conditions return following recent variable weather

The UK is preparing for another period of sunshine with temperatures climbing to 21C, following the recent ‘mini heatwave’. Weather maps from WXCharts, which utilise MetDesk data, indicate the warm conditions are expected to arrive across the country on by April 21.

Until then temperatures are expected to hang around 16C here in Cambridgeshire over the next week, with some sunshine expected on Monday (April 13), Thursday (April 16) and Saturday (April 18).

The South East of England is predicted to experience the highest temperatures, with London forecast to reach a peak of 21C at 6pm on April 21, and around 20C across Cambridgeshire, reports the Mirror.

On April 8, the Met Office confirmed that temperatures reached a record high for 2026, hitting 26.5C. Following these balmy conditions, temperatures have fallen with the possibility of snow and rain across much of the UK.

After the mid-twenties warmth experienced across much of the nation, Jim Dale, a forecaster for British Weather Services, said it won’t be long before conditions become even warmer – with “late spring” likely to see temperatures rise into the 30Cs.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “The southeast is likely to be driest and brightest. Later in this period, conditions may become drier and more settled, perhaps more especially in the north or northwest with the south possibly becoming the focus for showers or longer spells of rain.

“Temperatures will likely be near or slightly above average overall.”

‘I’ll have to come and see you soon,’ friends said when I told them Dad had died.

My father was my very best friend – everyone knew that, so I believed them when they said they’d be there to support me. 

But when months passed and my friends didn’t show up, I realised their words were meaningless. 

I’m not unreasonable: I know people have busy lives, and there might be reasons that you can’t be there. But what isn’t acceptable to me is promising someone you’ll be there and then flaking.

The people closest to me disappeared and left me feeling abandoned in the exact moment I needed them the most. To me, that is unforgivable. I can’t imagine ever letting them into my life again.

My dad understood me like nobody else did. He sensed when I was struggling with having borderline personality disorder and needed support, always appearing with a delicious treat at exactly the right moment.

He was diagnosed with cancer in September, 2025. He was 71 and I was 33, and as soon as we found out, I insisted I would be the one to care for him. 

Caring for him became almost a full-time job. My most important role was easing Dad’s pain with morphine, up to eight times a day. 

I felt terrible guilt when he suffered – so much so, I prayed God would take him as soon as possible. Sometimes all I could do was rub his back to ease the ache in his spine to comfort him.

But within weeks, I had no choice but to accept professional help, and he was admitted into a hospice in October.

Over the following days he fell into a coma. I sang You Are My Sunshine and played Masterchef on the flatscreen, describing the dishes we’d salivated over so many times before.

I lay at his side each night, reminding him of the loved ones waiting for him on the other side.

I promised I would be okay without him. Willing each breath to be his last, but also petrified of losing him.

It feels strange to say, but when he finally passed away, I was elated. 

It hadn’t even been six weeks since his initial diagnosis. To say I felt stunned would be an understatement. 

After his death, I couldn’t bear to see the world still spinning. Going outside felt almost impossible. I walked our dog, Maxie, under the cover of darkness, so that I wouldn’t see life go on without him.

Every night I lit a candle for Dad as I got into bed. I told him how I was feeling, asking him to keep looking out for me. 

That nightly catchup was the only thing I looked forward to.

Despite the fact my parents had been divorced for a decade, a parade of friends arrived at Mum’s house bearing cards, flowers and hugs. It was a given they’d attend the funeral. No one asked her if they should come, just ‘When and where?’

My own friends sent texts and crying emojis. ‘Will have to come and see you soon’ but it felt so insufficient in comparison to the support my mum received. 

I longed for action, not words. I needed them to check up on me consistently. 

There was so much they could have done: brought food, or asked if I needed help organising the funeral. But nothing like that was offered. It made me feel like my pain was inconvenient.

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I posted Dad’s funeral arrangements on Facebook; some friends I told directly, hoping they’d visit.

Only my ex-boyfriend showed up unprompted. One close friend came, after I asked them to support me. The lack of familiar faces really stung.

A few days after Dad died, before the funeral, I asked one of my closest friends to visit. She promised she’d be there in a fortnight.

The day came and went, with no word from her. Nearly two weeks later I received a photo: a litter of puppies, for no reason whatsoever, followed by the words ‘Been thinking of you…’

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I asked her why she hadn’t come to see me.

She said she had been ‘feeling a bit awkward about that’, and that the baby had been sick.

I felt like I had been drowning, and this was the tipping point. I stopped reading her responses, because no apology could repair this.

Three months passed and others continued messaging: ‘Been thinking of you, will have to visit soon.’

One friend invited me to their party. They’d stalled on visiting because they were ‘so busy’ with work, but clearly had time to plan a party. It was a gut punch.

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A couple of friends did visit in the days after dad died. They weren’t the ones I thought would be there in a crisis. I’ll always be grateful to them.

As for everyone else, I wanted to shake everyone and yell, ‘My dad literally died.’

Following three months of putting up with empty promises, I finally told everyone how hurt I was. 

A few apologised profusely and asked if they could come ASAP, but I stopped responding. It was too late – I just wanted to be left alone.

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Mind can also be reached by email at info@mind.org.uk.

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I questioned whether I’d expected too much. They’d texted, after all, perhaps I was being ungrateful. But I’d supported grieving friends – made pasta bakes, travelled for funerals, even offered to hop on a plane to Munich. I felt like I’d given lots, only to get nothing in return when I needed it. 

I still have dark days, like my birthday, but now I’m focusing on new relationships. I began volunteering at my local food bank to kick my fear of leaving home. My colleagues and customers put a smile on my face, as does the gentle man I met on a dating app who takes me on hiking dates.

Grieving friends need your support, whether that’s because they’ve read the word ‘deceased’ on a bank statement, or brought their parent home in an urn.

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You’ll likely say the wrong thing, but not showing up will always hurt more.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

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Morrissey was held in September 2022 at an apartment near Marbella on suspicion of money laundering and membership of a criminal gang.

The police operation that led to the arrest of Kinahan crime cartel ‘key member’ Johnny Morrissey was key to the takedown of the ruthless Lyons gang.

British-born Irish passport holder Morrissey was held in September 2022 at an apartment near Marbella on suspicion of money laundering and membership of a criminal gang. His Glasgow-born wife Nicola was also arrested in the Spanish Civil Guard operation, led by the force’s elite Central Operative Unit.

The pair remain under investigation but are yet to be told if they will be formally charged and are currently on bail. Their arrests followed a much-celebrated police infiltration of EncroChat, an encrypted communications service widely used by criminals, between March and June 2020.

Overnight Spanish police sources said Operation Whitewall, an international investigation aimed at breaking the Kinahan Organised Crime Group’s financial operations which led to Morrissey’s arrest, and Operation Armorum which resulted in 15 arrests including those of Lyons gang leader Steven Lyons and his wife Amanda, were “intrinsically linked.”

One said: “Operation Armorum comes from Operation Whitewall and the information obtained in that earlier operation from the infiltration of Encrochat which gave law enforcement real-time access to messages and helped to dismantle major organised crime groups.

“A lot of information about the Lyons gang has come from the intelligence investigators got from the operation against Morrissey. Morrissey and Steven Lyons relied on each other’s services.

“Morrissey was described as the Kinahans’ banker after his arrest but it wasn’t just the Kinahans he allegedly assisted.”

The Spanish Civil Guard, which was supported from other police forces including the Garda and National Crime Agency, said at the time of dad-of-two Morrissey’s arrest they believed he had allegedly helped crime gangs launder up to EUROS 350,000 (POUNDS 297,000) a day over the 18 months their investigation lasted.

The informal Hawala method of moving money said to have been used, originating from an Arabic term for transfer or trust and involving a network of brokers, is known to have been adopted by criminal gangs who use code numbers or tokens like banknotes torn in half to prove cash is due.

The former Rochdale doorman was accused by police of using a firm called Nero Drinks to camouflage his alleged criminal activities. The Lyons gang, who police have estimated laundered more than £26 million, allegedly used several firms including a food and drinks firm and a rental car company to ‘wash’ dirty money.

The Civil Guard described it as a “highly sophisticated criminal organisation characterised by violence” in their first statement since the deportation of Steven Lyons from Bali and his subsequent detention on a European Arrest Warrant in Amsterdam on Wednesday.

The 45-year-old is now facing extradition to Spain so he can be formally quizzed by a Malaga-based judge on suspicion of crimes of money laundering and membership of a criminal gang ahead of expected charges. His glamorous moll wife Amanda, 38, was held at Dubai’s airport at the request of Spanish police who remain confident she will also end up in custody on the Costa del Sol after being extradited along with her husband.

Seven other suspects were arrested during recent Operation Armorum raids in Spain, which took place mostly on the Costa del Sol but also in Barcelona. Several people were also arrested in Scotland.

Sources close to the case against Morrissey have previously admitted the probe was proving “complex” and declined to offer any information on when they thought the investigating magistrate could recommend charges and indictments might be submitted.

In November 2024 it emerged investigators probing the 66-year-old, released on bail in June that year, had called on Dubai for help where the Kinahans are hiding out and Lyons lived for several years before he fled to the Far East after leaving his previous base in Spain.

One well-placed insider said at the time of the probe against Morrissey: “The investigation is proving to be complex and has international ramifications. This is slowing things down.”

Another said: “The court that’s leading this investigation is awaiting the results of a rogatory commission sent to Dubai.”

Morrissey had to swap millionaire mansions and meet and greets with celebs for a tiny jail cell after being arrested in a dawn raid alongside his wife on September 12 2022.

He was held six months after the US Treasury identified him in a list of Kinahan cartel key members, saying: “Morrissey has worked for the Kinahan organised crime group for several years, including as an enforcer, and facilitates international drug shipments for the organisation from South America.

“John Morrissey is also involved in money laundering.”

Morrissey was released from prison after lodging a £52,000 bail bond. Officials said at the time his release conditions included a ban on leaving the country and the surrender of his passport, an obligation to sign on at court twice a month and the designation of an address so he could receive court notifications.

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Rising costs are forcing closures and cutbacks across Greater Manchester’s pub and bar scene, but a new guide from beer writer Matthew Curtis highlights more than 200 venues still thriving despite the pressure.

It’s a tough time for hospitality right now. Alongside rising business rates and VAT, the start of the financial year this month has introduced a new rise to the National Living Wage, which will see the minimum wage rate for all workers aged 21 and over by 4.1 per cent to £12.71 per hour.

The increase in costs means that it can be extremely difficult today for those running a pub, restaurant, cafe or bar. A recent report of 20,000 businesses found that as a direct result of recent cost rises, 64% of venues expect to cut down on jobs available and 42% said they intend to reduce trading hours. One in seven also fear these added costs may force them to close altogether.

It’s a reality that writer Matthew Curtis has been able to document in real time. The author of Manchester’s Best Beer Pubs and Bars, he has found that a startling 10% of the venues spotlighted in the first edition of the guide back in 2023 have now shut. That’s why he insists there has never been a better time to go out and explore some of the city-borough’s top drinking spots.

The second edition of the award-winning book, which is made in conjunction with CAMRA, has just been released this month and features recommendations of more than 200 venues across all corners of Greater Manchester – including some which even caught Matthew, who is also the founding editor of the drinks publication Pellicle, by surprise.

“When I was putting together this second edition, I went through the entire list of pubs and bars in the first book and worked out which had closed down – it was quite brutal,” Matthew tells the MEN. “Some were closed during the pandemic and just never reopened, others were impacted by the cost of living crisis. There are so many places that were once these beacons of the community that now just stand there empty.

“There’s some sad stories in there. There was a proper old community boozer in Oldham called the Royal Oak, it wasn’t necessarily an exciting pub but it was a proper Oldham pub in every sense. And it’s a real shame that it’s been lost.

“But, on the other hand, it’s important not to be all doom and gloom. It’s quite impressive to be able to find around 220 venues across Manchester that are just trying to get on with things and are making the best out of what they can. Some of them are doing really well, despite the challenges, and that’s obviously great to see.”

In terms of some of his immediate highlights, Matthew says some of the pubs and bars that stand out to him include the Crown Inn in Stockport and Banktop Brewery’s Bank Top Tap on Belmont Road in Astley Bridge. In the guide, the Bolton pub is described as being ‘more old-school pub than modern brewery taproom’, with ‘a lot of love clearly poured into its upkeep’.

“Bolton surprised me,” he explains when asked which area impressed him. “I went to this very traditional pub, then headed to a little micropub called Bunbury’s and then just up the road from there was this modern deli called Earl’s, which is a café and then a vinyl listening bar in the evening. It had a lot of local beer available, and they were all just a great example of all these positive things that are happening where you might not initially expect them.”

Matthew says he hopes the guide will also stress how important it is to venture outside of town every now and then too. Some of his other top suggestions include the Prairie Schooner in Urmston (“Great name for a pub, and a very special place”), and the Stalybridge Buffet Bar (“one of the finest pubs in Greater Manchester”). “One pub that I will always come back to is the Swan and Railway Hotel, which is just across from the Wigan Wallgate train station,” he adds.

“It’s a beautiful pub, there’s a lot of love and investment that’s been put into it. It’s four storeys, built in 1898 and has a seven-room hotel and it’s just something really special. It’s one of those places that is as much for locals as it is for people to visit specifically for. It’s half an hour on the train from town, they do great beer and a great pie, mash and mushy peas. It’s just always a really great experience there.

“In Stockport, there’s also the Magnet which is on the A6 and it’s a bit of an institution really. I can walk in there on my own, having lived in the area for a few years now, and I’ll just bump into someone I know and we’ll just sit down and chat away. That demonstrates the importance of a pub to me.”

Asked how he hopes people will use the Best Beer Pubs and Bars guide, Matthew says he hopes people will consider his recommended Star Picks as stepping off points for people to visit before going off to explore the surrounding areas. It’s something he’s found that readers of the first edition have already enjoyed doing.

“I recently bumped into a couple who had come over from Sheffield and were in Heaton Hops actually using one of the beer crawls from the book,” he says. “We got talking and they were saying how they were going out and finding these places that were new to them. It’s great for tourists, but I think it can also be something for people from the area who are just looking for somewhere they haven’t visited or never considered before.”

The latest edition of Matthew’s book, self-proclaimed as the ‘definitive’ version, also shines a light on the fact that there are quite a few breweries based across Greater Manchester conjuring up some special beers. “We have almost 60 small independent breweries here,” he explains. “A lot of them have their own tap rooms too where you can go and taste their beers. A lot of the pubs featured in the guide are ones that are focused on supporting these small and independent breweries – it’s about championing the local economy and that’s something that’s really important to me.”

Whilst Matthew says he doesn’t like the term ‘use it or lose it’ when describing the importance of pubs and bars, he says the sentiment is fairly accurate. “If you want to support your local, you do need to get out there and visit them,” he stresses. “I just don’t like to put the onus entirely on the consumer as people choose to spend their valuable leisure time and expandable income how they want to.

“We preserve these spaces because a pub is somewhere that’s not work or the home. When you’re at home, you have responsibilities, you have washing up and life admin to do. The pub or a bar is somewhere you can relax, unwind with a good book, and meet friends. It’s where life happens. People have wakes there, celebrations of births, people break up there, they form relationships there. Pubs don’t have to be that complicated, but they are where all of these things happen.

“And it’s not all about getting drunk at the same time – there’s some really great no-alcohol beers right now. For a lot of people, the pub is often their only source of social interaction. It’s important for their well-being. One of the great things about Manchester and the north is that people love to chat. Even when I’ve been sitting in the corner discreetly making notes for the book, people have come up to me and started a conversation.

“But to support the industry right now, I really encourage people to just go out and explore these places a bit. Go out, pop in, see them for yourself, and don’t be afraid to venture away from your local from time to time. There are some genuinely special bars and pubs that we are very lucky to have here.”

Manchester’s Best Beer Pubs and Bars is available to buy now via the CAMRA website.

John Atkinson, 34, of Market Court, Pickering, was convicted of driving a vehicle with a tyre with insufficient tread. He was banned from driving for six months, fined £184 and ordered to pay £90 prosecution costs and a £74 statutory surcharge.

Sally Steadman, 49, of St Nicholas Street, Norton, was convicted of speeding on the A64 at Whitwell Hill. She was banned from driving for six months, fined £256 and ordered to pay £120 prosecution costs and a £102 statutory surcharge.

Caila Ward, 27, of Aspen Way, Slingsby, pleaded guilty to using a phone while driving in Malton and was banned from driving for six months. She was also fined £266 and ordered to pay £120 prosecution costs and a £106 statutory surcharge.

Lee Graham, 58, of Main Street, Stillington, north of York, pleaded guilty to speeding in a bus on the A170 at Thornton-le-Dale in a 50 mph zone for buses. He was banned from driving for six months, fined £153 and ordered to pay £120 prosecution costs.

All cases were heard at Harrogate Magistrates Court.

More than 60 vehicles, ranging from the Second World War to the Cold War-era, were expected on Sunday morning (April 12).

Spectators waved as the vehicles drove past Clifford’s Tower and parked on the Eye of York.

The showcase was organised by the Military Vehicle Trust, a national charity dedicated to “keeping our mechanical veterans alive”.

Brian Slingsby, the charity’s secretary for the Yorkshire area, said all the vehicles are privately owned by enthusiasts.

MVT Yorkshire area secretary Brian Slingsby, left, during the ‘crank up’ in York on Sunday (April 12) (Image: Dylan Connell)

The charity has been hosting its first event of the year, called the “crank up”, at the Eye of York for more than 30 years.

“It’s a great setting because there’s a lot of history here,” said Brian, speaking to The Press in front of Clifford’s Tower.

Brian brought his Second World War-era Willys Jeep to the crank up and said there continues to be a lot of interest in the vehicles from members of the public in York.

“They are all big parts of our history and our heritage, so they need preserving,” he said of the historic vehicles.

Military vehicles at the Eye of York during the MVT ‘crank up’ on Sunday (April 12) (Image: Dylan Connell)

“I think people need reminding about what we did … It’s real history – all of these vehicles were in the Second World War. That’s a long time ago, but it’s not that long ago.

“[The Second World War] had a big influence on us, which is why we like it. It’s what got me into it in the first place.

“I’m really interested in the Second World War and the effect it’s had on us because that’s shaped the world we live in today.

“Everything that’s happening today is a consequence of what went on then.”

Josh Turner and Dave Bland with their 1942 Willys Jeep in York on Sunday (April 12) (Image: Dylan Connell)

Josh Turner and his stepfather, Dave Bland, brought the 1942 Willys Jeep they have owned for four years.

The model was used heavily during the Second World War and the pair’s version has been fitted with a gas fire gun on top for “theatrical effect”, according to Josh. “It’s a loud bit of kit.”

“If we did it here, we’d get the police!” added Dave.

Read next:

Dave said he purchased the Jeep to one day hand down to Josh’s son.

“I’ve given some inheritance to my grandson – but I’m playing with it first!” Dave said.

Josh, from Kexby, said he was drawn to the vehicles to “keep the history alive”.

He said they had become friends with other enthusiasts and travelled around the country with them.

“I’ve got two young kids – they’re well into it; they love the camping and everything,” he added.

Benetton: Gallagher; Ratave, Menoncello, Fekitoa, Mendy; Umaga, Uren; Gallo, Bernasconi, Zilocchi, N Cannone, Ruzza, Zuliani, Favretto, L Cannone

Replacements: Maile, Aminu, Pasquali, Negri, Fa’aso’o, Izekor, A Garbisi, Marin

Exeter Chiefs: Woodburn; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Rigg, Ridl; Skinner, Varney; Sio, Yeandle, Roots, Jenkins, Zambonin, Hooper, Vintcent, Fisilau

Replacements: Dweba, Burger, Tchumbadze, Tuima, Worley-Brady, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, John

Referee: Luc Ramos (France)

It is the sixth day of protests around Ireland

Fuel protesters in Dublin city centre were “ambushed” by an “army” of public order police, according to a spokesman for the blockaders.

The blockade of the capital’s main thoroughfare O’Connell Street was cleared in a late-night police operation, ahead of an emergency Cabinet meeting on Sunday to sign off on measures the Irish Government hopes will bring all protests over fuel costs to an end.

The Irish police service An Garda Siochana conducted a separate operation to clear another blockade at Galway docks, where gardai with shields and protective gear clashed with protesters at the harbour.

READ MORE: ‘I’m taking on all of the UK’s Ironman races in one season after major leg surgery’READ MORE: The reports of ‘big cats’ made to police in Northern Ireland in five years

The protests – including blockades of Ireland’s only oil refinery in Cork and another depot in Limerick – strangled fuel distribution across the country and prompted an escalated policing response that resulted in several arrests and public order units deployed three times.

Participants – largely led by hauliers, farmers, and agricultural workers – began distinct but co-ordinated action on Tuesday with slow-moving convoys and outright stoppages on major motorways, as well as blockades of critical infrastructure which had largely wound down by midday on Sunday.

Over six consecutive days, spokesmen had called on the Government to take urgent action to reduce fuel costs which they say are at unsustainable levels and will lead to people going out of business.

Elsewhere, protesters voted to leave a blockade at a depot in Foynes, Co Limerick while several trucks were granted access to Rosslare Europort.

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However, disruption continued on Irish motorways as protesters blocked traffic – which had been exacerbated by the disbandment of the blockades.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s largest opposition party Sinn Fein said it would call a motion of no confidence in the Government.

Speaking about the overnight Garda operation on O’Connell Street, Dublin protest spokesman Christopher Duffy said: “We got absolutely ambushed here last night by what I can only describe as an army of (public order gardai).”

He said protesters were “pulling out of O’Connell Street” because gardai had threatened to tow their vehicles, which he said could damage them.

“So we have no choice, financially we have to move the vehicles.”

He called for rural TDs and independents “propping up the Government” to call a motion of no confidence in the coalition.

Asked if the overall protests are now over, he said: “I don’t think so.”

Meanwhile, the Defence Forces assisted gardai with clearing a makeshift barrier erected by protesters blockading Galway docks.

Footage posted on social media by An Garda Siochana showed a Defence Forces heavy-lift recovery truck – nicknamed ‘the Beast’ – driving through the barrier constructed with pallets and logs, while a garda helicopter monitored overhead.

A second heavy-lift recovery truck operated by the Defence Forces was also at the scene while gardai worked to restore access to the harbour, as the Public Order Unit members with plastic shields pushed against a line of demonstrators.

The coalition Government is expected to sign off on fuel-cost measures on Sunday evening, but it remains to be seen if it will convince protesters to call off any return to action when the return of schools on Monday adds to pressure on the roads.

On Saturday, gardai first cleared a blockade of the Whitegate oil refinery in Co Cork.

It also saw physical clashes between protesters and gardai, who used pepper spray during the hour-long operation which resecured access for fuel trucks.

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly had vowed to step up enforcement against fuel-cost protesters “endangering the state” by blocking critical infrastructure.

Protesters’ demands for meetings with Government were not acceded to but relevant ministers held talks with established national representative bodies on Friday and Saturday.

These meetings concluded with a “substantial” package involving a temporary fuel transport support scheme” and “temporary fuel support”.

It is understood the transport support scheme will see direct payments to businesses in the sectors affected by high fuel costs.

A senior source said the scheme will be part of a broader package on the fuel crisis.

The engagements included Irish Road Haulage Association president Ger Hyland, who said there were “the bones of an agreement” with the Government.

He added he hoped the “substantial package”, understood to include a direct payment scheme, would be agreed by Sunday morning.

The Cabinet is due to meet at 4pm on Sunday to sign off on the measures.

Commissioner Kelly said the blockades of critical infrastructure “resulted in fuel shortages that are directly impacting on emergency services such as hospitals, the ambulance service and the fire service, as well as businesses and the general public”.

He said: “These are blockades. They are not a legitimate form of protest.”

He added: “We gave the blockaders fair warning that we were moving to enforcement and they choose to ignore it and continue to hold the country to ransom.”

The escalated enforcement action came as Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartlan warned it would “still take 10 days to recover” to normal.

Mr McPartlan, who had estimated that up to two-thirds of the country’s 1,500 filling stations could have ran dry by Sunday morning, said the situation is “rapidly changing” due to the garda interventions – but said hundreds of forecourts would still be without fuel.

While fuel truck access to Whitegate oil refinery was ramping up significantly, ongoing disruption on major roads was affecting distribution.

Blockades have resulted in full closures of parts of major motorways, although Gardai announced blockades on the M50 at junctions five and seven had been cleared on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, police in Northern Ireland said they are “maintaining an ongoing assessment” in relation to social media posts calling for similar planned protests there.

A PSNI spokeswoman said: “A policing response has been prepared, if needed, to ensure public safety and to help minimise any potential disruption to the wider community.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

You can check your details with HMRC are correct in several ways

Taxpayers are being urged to review their records, as many people have incorrect information registered with HMRC. Consumer website MoneySavingExpert (MSE) has warned that millions of people need to update their details with the tax authority.

In a social media message, the organisation said: “A new tax year means it’s a good time to check your tax code. If it’s wrong, you could be due £1,000s back.” The message highlighted that “millions are wrong each year” and emphasised that verifying your tax code is accurate is your personal responsibility.

This means if you’re in employment, it falls to you to ensure your code is correct, not your employer. The MSE team highlighted a success story of a person who recovered a substantial sum after being on the wrong tax code for years.

£9,400 refund from HMRC

The taxpayer, named Michele, said: “I was being taxed on every penny I earned, without any allowance. I’d previously been self-employed, but stopped trading three years ago and my tax code hadn’t been updated with my employer.

“It took an hour on the phone to HMRC, but I’ve now been refunded £9,400.” Your tax code sets how much tax your employer or pension provider deducts from your income.

You can find yours on a recent payslip or in a Tax Code Notice letter, if HMRC issues one. Each person receives a standard tax-free allowance, entitling them to earn up to £12,570 annually without paying income tax on these earnings.

You could overpay thousands

However, if you’re on an incorrect tax code, there’s a danger this allowance might not be correctly applied to your circumstances. If you’ve missed out on the allowance entirely and pay tax at the basic rate, you could unnecessarily hand over an additional £2,514 annually.

If you were incorrectly taxed in this manner over three tax years, you could wrongly pay an extra £7,542 to HMRC. The tax department said previously: “Anyone who thinks their tax code is incorrect can update their details on our app or via their online tax account, or contact our helpline if unable to go online.” The number to ring is 0300 200 3300.

The most frequently used tax code is 1257L, showing that you qualify for the full £12,570 personal allowance. If HMRC discovers that you’ve overpaid tax, you’ll receive a P800 tax calculation letter.

This will explain how you can reclaim the money. You may be able to do this through the Government website or via the HMRC app.